ACC, r1: Nine-try Stade Francais rise to the Challenge; Bourgoin earn defensive bonus

Stade Francais ran in nine tries as they crushed Italian side Crociati RFC 57-6 at the Stade Charléty on Thursday evening.

The Paris outfit recovered from Marco Anversa's first-minute penalty for the visitors to open up a 26-3 lead by half-time in their opening Pool 4 match.

Nineteen-year-old fly-half Jules Plisson was first to cross the line for Stade (in the seventh minute), 20-year-old number eight Hugues Briatta following soon after as Michael Cheika's young bucks grabbed their chance to shine.

Argentine international Martin Rodriguez Gurruchaga - who was playing on the wing - touched down for the first of his two tries on the night in the 27th minute, with Scottish full-back Hugo Southwell also going over before the interval.

The one-way traffic continued in the second half with Guillaume Boussés, Ollie Phillips and Brian Liebenberg all getting on the scoresheet to complete the back-line's full house, while Gurruchaga doubled up and replacement scrum-half Benjamin Tardy completed the rout.

Noel Oelschig, the starting scrum-half, kicked six of his nine conversion attempts as Stade sailed past the 50-point mark to safely pocket the attacking bonus.

Cheika rang the changes in the second half, with 20-year-old English lock Dan Wright making his first-team debut for Stade when he replaced Tom Palmer after 56 minutes.

Crociati at least departed with the knowledge they had led Stade at one point - albeit for just six minutes - while their second-half score came from a Tommaso Iannone penalty.

2010/11 ACC tables, fixtures & results / Top try and point-scorers

In the evening's other match Top 14 strugglers Bourgoin did enough to earn a potentially crucial defensive bonus as they went down 22-16 away to Newcastle Falcons in Pool 3.

Fly-half Sébastien Laloo kicked two early penalties for the visitors in reply to Jeremy Manning's fifth-minute try, but Newcastle led 12-6 at the break after Joe Graham touched down for a converted score on 24 minutes.

Manning and Laloo then added a penalty each after the break before Luke Fielden's converted try on 62 minutes put Newcastle 22-9 up.

But Bourgoin refused to give up and scored a deserved try of their own late on when replacement scrum-half Jérémy Gondrand went over 10 minutes from time - with Laloo adding the conversion - and could even have nicked it at the death but for some stout defence from the Falcons.

The eventual 22-16 scoreline did earn them the defensive bonus, however, and Eric Catinot's side will be looking to build on that next weekend when they entertain Aviva Premiership newcomers Exeter Chiefs at the Stade Pierre Rajon.